


Trust Fall

by AkiNoHyo, Saereki



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Humor, OCs - Freeform, Trauma, everyone's gonna show up at some point, probably, they're sisters, two farmers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-08-22 05:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16591532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiNoHyo/pseuds/AkiNoHyo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saereki/pseuds/Saereki
Summary: Still, her sister, aside from laughing, wasn't giving away anything. Just when she was getting a bit anxious, she saw her pulling an envelope from her back pocket.  Immediately her curiosity took over the worry, and she raised a brow."What are those?""Those," she began, her voice betraying her excitement, "are our escape tickets out of hell."Stuck in the life they don't belong, two sisters find a little piece of heaven in their family's old farm. However, happiness doesn't come easy, and sometimes even the strongest minds cannot keep away the hard reality of the past. Jumping into the unknown for a hope at a new beginning, they might even find more than they ever expected.





	1. Leave it all behind

She remembers everything so clearly, and yet it still felt like a blur. The deafening sound of sirens fading in and out, blue and red lights flashing before her unfocused eyes, the intense scent of scorching metal and oil, her entire body, numb and on fire at the same time, all as if her mind was a thousand miles away. She can recall her sister, calling out her name amidst all the screaming and commotion, her eyes full of panic and fear as she tried to bring her back from her state of shock. It feels like a nightmare, she doesn't understand, she wants to wake up, wake up now, before knowing what happened. Suddenly, it seems all-too-real and everything hurts. Tears flow free from her eyes as she clings to her sister, whose arms are tightly wound around her like she might disappear any second. Her throat feels closed up, and she can't even speak. A small part of her wants to look and try to understand, another part knows, but her heart isn't strong enough to look. Her head buried in her sister's embrace, her eyes are closed. Not too long after- or an eternity, she couldn't tell-, she could feel another pair of arms circle around them, as desperate as the ones shielding her from the reality she can't bear to see. The conscious part of her is waiting for the other ones, the soft, caring arms they know too well. She waits and waits, as the dread rises from the deepest parts of her heart. But they never come, and her wails of grief are the only thing her mind remembers before everything goes dark.

 

* * *

 

"We're going."

Her sister's weirdly out-of-context statement made her lift her eyes from her phone. From her spot on their small couch, Serra stared at her sister for a moment, and she stared back. Her day had been awfully tiring, and it was probably the case for both of them. Serra opened her mouth to protest that she was not in the mood for one of her sister's games but stopped. The smile in Cheryl's eyes, while she tried to remain dead serious, gave away the true nature of the scene. She had something to say, and of course that dork was going to make it theatrical. That was all but new, and she knew she had to play along.

"What are you talking about ?"

As always, Cheryl stayed silent a little while before coming closer and sitting down before her. Serra rolled her eyes and grinned at her typical dramatic behaviour.

"Stop being obnoxious and just tell me what it's all about already."

Cheryl laughed a little, and her smile widened. It might seem odd, but sometimes, she had the feeling their emotions were interconnected. When Cheryl smiled, she smiled too, and vice versa. Still, her sister, aside from laughing, wasn't giving away anything. Just when she was getting a bit anxious, she saw her pulling an envelope from her back pocket.  Immediately her curiosity took over the worry, and she raised a brow.

"What are those?"

"Those," she began, her voice betraying her excitement, "are our escape tickets out of hell."

Serra blinked, confused. She knew it was totally normal for her sister to be all cryptic about something simple, but... Somehow the envelope was familiar. Where did she see it? It seemed so distant, yet so reachable, that she wanted to grab it and open it herself. Cheryl pulled it away, taking out the letter inside.

"Do you remember Grandpa? I mean, the cool Grandpa."

A giggle passed her lips as the younger sister pictured in her mind their grandpas. Yup, she totally knew which one was the cool one. While the one from their father's side was old and hysterical, their mother's father was the coolest. Well... He was around for only two months before passing away... And he had been stuck at the hospital... But still! He'd been pretty awesome. Serra held back the numerous hilarious anecdotes that came to her mind and simply nodded. Cheryl ran a hand through her hair, finally settling for playing with a strand and looking at it like it held the secrets of the universe. Her smile had faded, and Serra could almost see the memories scrolling in her older sister's mind. Sure, she'd always loved grandpa... but Cheryl had been closer to him than anyone. It was like they had shared a special friendship that could never be replaced. Serra could remember his last moments in this world with them... Cheryl was the one who had held his hand as the illness took him away. That was the second, and the last time she saw her sister cry.

Her brow furrowed in worry, Serra got up and hugged her sister tightly. She heard her letting out the breath she'd been holding, and she returned the gesture briefly. They pulled away, and she looked at Cheryl in concern.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just emotional. He gave me that letter sometime before passing away... I never thought I'd open it. Told me I was to do so only when I'd be... crushed by the burden of modern life."

Serra stayed still, listening closely. It did sound exactly like something their grandpa would have said. Still, she couldn't see how the puzzle pieces fit together. Where was her sister going with that speech? And what about the whole "leaving" thing?

"You know he lived far away from town?" Cheryl began, nervousness seeping into her voice. "He was actually a farmer in a place called Stardew Valley. He... He thought that if we were, one day, to want to leave everything and just start from scratch... Then we could go there. On his farm."

A blank silence fell upon their little home, and Serra stared into her sister's hazel eyes.

"Moving to a farm...?" Serra echoed. "Starting from scratch? B-but what about our life here? You worked so hard to get us where we are...!"

"Serra..." she said softly. Her hands came to hold her shoulders comfortingly. "You know as well as I do that we're not really happy here. My job is a torture and..." she sighed. "I know you're having trouble too. I might be here for you, but...  I know you're lonely. The nice people at work aren't what you need. I want you to make friends, and do something you really like.  I want you and I to be happy, and... I don't know about you, but a fresh start sounds like exactly what we need."

Serra's eyes saddened as she looked away, hesitant. She knew that. She knew all that. She knew her sister was far from happy, and that this opportunity might actually be the answer to everything. But still, she couldn't help but worry... What if they did go there, and in the end, they failed to settle down into a proper life? No one's ever told them how to manage farm work!  What if they really couldn't do it? They would be even worse off than now... At least here in the city, they were somewhat stable, and they had jobs and an apartment... Though she knew way too well how Cheryl felt about their lives here. She knew how badly she wanted freedom from their suffocating routine, but... Throwing everything they've ever known aside? That did sound like her overly bold sister, but her? She'd always been the little sister, following the steps of grown-ups and comforting herself in the safety of Cheryl's mother-like caring. A decision like this was way too much for her! Her mind was in overdrive and her emotions all over the place; she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"I know you're worried," Cheryl said, bringing her back from her thoughts. "But we'll do our best! Managing a farm can't be that hard, right? It's like, an overgrown garden."

She sniffled. "Cheryl, you kill every plant you touch."

"Hey!" she retorted, causing Serra to giggle. She took on a mockingly offended voice. "We have three alive tulips in our garden, rude."

Serra giggled lightly. She didn't know what she would do without her sister. She knew she couldn't let her go like this. If Cheryl was going to go there and work their way out of hell, then you could bet she wouldn't be alone. She would do everything to help her, because that's just what they did for each other.

Maybe, just maybe, she'd known all along, deep in her heart, what her answer would be.

"Alright, you crazy dork. How do we do this?"

Cheryl's smile warmed her heart like a second sun as she threw her arms around her neck and pulled her into a bear hug.

"Yes!! Oh, you're not gonna regret this, I swear! We'll have our own house, our own stuff, and we're gonna be able to do anything! It'll be rough at first, but I know that if we're together, nothing is ever going to stop us, I promise!"

Serra grinned. "I know."

Cheryl affectionately ruffled her hair before breaking the hug, though not letting go of her shoulders. She took a deep breath.

"We'll need a few things, for sure... But I want us to start over, so the less possible. Clothes, food, all the money we have... Our gardening tools, too, I guess that'll be useful. I'll buy the bus tickets tonight, and we'll leave next month. How about that? Sounds good?

Serra smiled. It was a trust fall, in the end.

"Yeah. That sounds great."

And she knew her sister would never let her hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellow people !
> 
> So this is our first fanfic on archive of our own and we hope you like it ! If there's mistakes or whatever plot related weird things, don't hesitate to call us out (english is not our first langage so it's very likely) and we'll be happy to answer with a good amount of ankwardness and shyness -and lots of love-. ♥ 
> 
> \- Aki


	2. The new beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl and Serra having some sister time in a bus and being welcomed by Super Mayor Lewis and #JokingRobin

A hand in her hair, Cheryl stared at the window. She felt just like those girls in movies, looking outside the bus with dramatic music in the background and emotional faces on. Except she wasn't making any faces and actually smiled. Her sister at her side, she was happy to finally be outside the city. So happy that she didn't even complain about that stupid man walking on her foot. Seriously! How did he even reach it !? She was about to get up and take her computer in the overhead compartment, but then he just walked passed her and freaking- Ugh!

"So, how long are we going to be stuck here?"

Her sister's shaky voice brought her back to reality; she turned her eyes back to her, her brows furrowed in concern. The grumpy old man was immediately forgotten.

"A few hours... I downloaded some movies. Wanna watch one with me ?"

Without much surprise, Serra nodded silently and put on the left earphone. It was going to be a long trip... Cheryl winced. Serra was probably stressed out of her mind right now. She really wished they had some other way to get to that "Pelican Town" or whatever the name was, but it was in the middle of nowhere, so they didn't have any choice but take the eight-hour bus. She had brought a lot of stuff to do to distract her little sister, but Cheryl was still worried. There was a good reason they never had a car...

Half an hour into the movie though, Serra seemed to have relaxed a little. Her shoulders were already less tense than when she first stepped on the bus, and her eyes were focused on the tablet screen. Cheryl's mind, on the other hand, was wandering. Outside, the light was still struggling to emerge through the dark clouds of the city. It was still early spring, so the sun wouldn't be fully out until an hour. She never thought she'd actually be up before the sun. Even if she was the hard-working type, she still hated the feeling of getting up so early. Like, really. If the sun was still sleeping, she was clearly supposed to stay in her bed. The universe had rules, and she followed them with undeniable dedication.

Okay... That sounded a bit silly. Serra, at her side, seemed to notice her drooping eyes and her inner struggle with her disrupted, weird sleep schedule.

Surprisingly, she stayed silent and just smiled with an amused look. Her smile was heart-warming. Cheryl lightly threw an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. It was such an important day, and yet it felt like any "sister day". Watching movies while eating snacks was totally their thing. They usually did it on one of their beds or on the couch, but still. Somehow, it felt like home, even in this crowded bus. Cheryl came to think, a rare, soft thought, that wherever they were, it would still feel like home as long as they were together.

Well, that was way more silly than her hatred of getting up early. Sometimes, she couldn't believe the cheesy thoughts she had. Who said things like that !? Maybe the hundreds of movies she'd seen weren't helping that much.

"What do you wanna do first when we get there ?"

She asked in a casual tone after pausing the movie. She really wanted to know. After all, she sort of decided of the big change all alone, and Serra followed the best she could. Her sister looked at her straight in the eyes and deadpanned.

"Roll on the new bed and sleep."

Cheryl burst out laughing, caught off-guard by her answer.

"Oh gosh, it's probably gonna be full of dust and spiders!"

"Oh no!"

They both descended into uncontrollable fits of laughter, the kind where you don't really know why you're laughing, but it's so ridiculous that you can't stop. It was only a couple minutes later did they manage to bring it somewhat under control, when the people sitting close to them started giving them the stink-eye. Still giggling, Cheryl pressed the play button on the movie and slowly they fell silent, focused on the screen. The cartoon-y like movie was about a young girl and her struggles to get along in life with her responsibilities as an extraterrestrial princess. Quite the crazy stuff if you asked her, but it was fun to watch and way deeper than it could've seemed at first glance. Oddly, she felt like somehow, the story of that girl matched theirs. As a secretary in a grand office, Cheryl had a lot of responsibilities, and Serra added even more to the batch. Her sister was the sweetest being and probably mostly unaware of how hard it was to get a living out of a stupid job. Yet she was the reason the hazel-eyed young woman worked so hard. She wanted to offer her sister the life she deserved, and that meant working her ass off until she was too tired to even lift a finger.

Just like the princess in the movie, however, she had finally found the answer to all her problems. She still had the responsibility to take care of her sister, but with that new start, she'd be able to do it while doing things she actually liked. She really hoped the community in this town would be warm and welcoming. She wanted Serra to actually meet people and think outside the box. She kind of wished she'd be forced to get along with people she didn't really like, just to force her to overcome her fears and her prejudices about people. Of course, Cheryl knew about Serra's social anxiety and "easy to scare off" side. She hoped for her to push it all away.

When the movie ended, she looked at the clock onscreen. Ugh, they still had a good eight hours left.

" Do you want snacks? I have chocolate, gummies, chips..."

Serra just stared at her, visibly fighting back one of her stupid grins and Cheryl rolled her eyes up to the sky with a wide smile. Okay, why did she even ask? Of course, Serra would want the usual peanut butter-chocolate she adored. They had packed a bunch just in case she got one of her massive cravings.

"There you go, lil' bird."

Her little sister holding onto her chocolate and herself eating whatever she could get her hand on, they spent the entire ride just like that. Somehow, they fell asleep between the third and fifth movie and woke up when three guys asked them if they were getting off at the oncoming stop. They politely said no and Cheryl glared at them until they were out of sight. She needed that sleep, for God's sake!

And finally, after a last boring movie about dogs, Cherryl lifted her eyes from the screen just in time to see the sign on the side of the road through the window. There. Stardew Valley, 0.5 miles.

Cheryl almost jumped out of her seat. That was it! They were finally there! Quickly, she gathered their stuff and put it back in the bags. They couldn't miss the stop!

"Come on Serra! Get up!"

Her overflowing enthusiasm got her sleepy sister up and they rushed to the doors. They all but jumped off the bus, with Serra uttering a quick "thank you" to the driver. When their feet finally met solid ground after almost eight hours of, they both let out a breath of relief. They looked around, and then that breath was taken away. The place was splendid! The little bus stop had a simple road disappearing between sides of the mountains and dense woods. The green area and the dirt road were refreshing and there were so many trees! Cheryl hugged her sister without a single care in the world, without even noticing the person watching them. She breathed in the fresh air, accompanied by the scent of pine. It was so good to finally be free from that stinky, polluted city!

Cheryl paid little to no attention to the bus driving away, disappearing in the dark tunnel. She was caught up in her own excitement, her heart beating like it was just reborn, the cool wind playing in her air and the setting sun warming her skin. She didn't need to glance beside her to know her sister was in the same state as her; she'd always been very sensitive to her senses. She only looked at her when she felt her hand slipping in hers. Serra's green eyes, just like their father's, were twinkling in wonder and happiness, no doubt matching her own. It must have been a while, she thought, since our eyes last shined like that.

That was the moment the red-haired lady had approached them. Serra, ever the polite one, was the one to take initiative.

"Hello, miss...?" she said hesitantly. The stranger smiled warmly.

"Hello! You must be Cheryl and Serra!"

The older sister returned the smile and, with a strong grip, she shook her hand.

"That's us! What about you?"

"I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to get you and show you the way to your new home. He's actually there right now, tidying things up for you."

Oh, she knew that name! Cheryl had written him a letter about coming back to their grandpa's place and taking over the farm. He'd only asked for a proof that they actually were from the same family, but never questioned their decision to leave the city. He just went with what Cheryl told him. She kind of learned to like the guy through their exchanges and came to appreciate his caring for their arrival. Nevertheless, Cheryl was still skeptical about whether or not she could trust him -people who were just too kind were weird- but never let any of her doubts change her opinion on him. Apparently, he had been a great friend of grandpa...

"Thank you for your kindness and your help."

Serra's courtesy was cute, as usual, and Cheryl nodded to highlight her approval. She was eager to get to the farm, as the day was slowly getting to an end.

"It's our pleasure, really!" Robin laughed. "It's not every day we see new faces around. The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me." She pointed a small path to her right

Taking care of the suitcases, the older sister let Serra go on first, who followed Robin with barely concealed little jumps of excitement, and walked a few paces behind, taking in the view. They walked on the trail for maybe twenty minutes before arriving before an open land stuffed with lonely trees and rocks and grass all around. The two sisters stood there, and if their jaws could have hit the floor, they probably would have. When Robin saw their faces, her voice took a kidding -but reassuring- tone and chuckled.

"I know it's a bit overgrown, but there's good soil underneath that mess! Don't worry, with a little dedication, you'll have it cleaned up in no time!"

Cheryl gave her a look that clearly meant she didn't believe a single word she said. How were they supposed to clean that up!? They only had some basic gardening tools, nothing fancy! She thought there would be weeds, but not trees and freaking rocks! How were they- What-

Exhaustion fell upon her shoulders and she took a deep breath. She had to keep that shining spark of motivation alive if she wanted to ever overcome the difficulties. She said it herself, the beginning would be rough, but they had each other's backs! Another deep breath and she put all the cheerfulness she could muster in her attitude.

"I'm sure we'll end up just fine. We've seen rougher things than a few trees to cut down and hundreds of rocks to move ! We'll just need to buy some tools and everything will be just fine!"

Serra's look screamed of a sort-of amused disbelief, but gratefulness too. Robin, on the other side, seemed kind of surprised. Maybe she expected a less enthusiastic reaction, but it was Cheryl-like to be overflowing with confidence. On this kind of "everything is doomed" situation, it was quite useful, but most of the time it was just alarming. Her overconfidence had a tendency to put her in dangerous situations. It wasn't really smart or anything, but she didn't really care about that. She had her flaws, just like everyone else. Why work on them when it was part of what made her so amazing?

Her sister seemed to feel the obnoxious vibe and pressed Robin to go on with the tour. On the right, a bit deeper on the land, there was a cabin. At this point, Cheryl realized there was a sort of lake on the southern side of their- their!- farm, littered with a couple of islands connected with wooden bridges. Oooh, she wondered, maybe there is some fish in there? Maybe they could get some to eat... She hoped. It still seemed quite unimaginable to fend for themselves -for real- when they were so used of the "work, get a salary and buy what you need" system. Living so far off in the lands and getting their own food seemed so unreal.

Robin, calm and confident, finally led the way to the cabin. She turned to them and smiled.

"... And here we are! Your new home!"

Serra, eyes wide open and a big smile across her face, grabbed her hand and held it tight. It was a big house, bigger than everything they ever had. The workload suddenly seemed less heavy. They could do anything if it meant freedom. As they were taking the view, the door creaked open and an old man got out of the cabin. His face lit up as soon as he caught sight of them.

"Ah! The new farmers!"

He went down the stairs and smiled warmly at them. In the ending day, his smile was actually quite energizing.

"Welcome! I'm Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town."

Cheryl shook firmly his hand and Serra tried to do the same, shyly.

"Our pleasure. I'm Cheryl, and this is my young sister I told you about, Serra."

He nodded, seemingly happy to meet them. The feeling, of course, was shared. He looked like the kind of mayor that deeply cared about everybody in town, and just welcomed them with overflowing kindness.

"You know, everyone's been asking about you. It's not everyday that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!"

Cheryl giggled to herself. Yup, Serra was totally going to meet new people, no matter what. Maybe she'd find someone nice to hang out with. Cheryl wondered for a second if there were young adults around town. After all, the two they'd seen so far were quite a bit older than they were...

"So... You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a good house... very 'rustic'."

His words got a laugh out of Robin. She raised a hand to appease the mayor who was giving her a grumpy look.

"Rustic? That's one way to put it... 'Crusty' might be a little more accurate, though."

Lewis let out an almost offended sound of disagreement and gave her a slightly exasperated look while she laughed. When she calmed down, still giggling at her own joke, Lewis turned to the two new citizens of the town. He seemed to humor the carpenter because he was smiling as he spoke to them again.

"Don't listen to her, you two! She's just trying to promote one of her house upgrades..."

The carpenter muttered a small, joking "don't know what you're talking about" as she held back another laugh so the mayor could go on.

"Anyway... You must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself."

He paused with a thoughtful smile.

"The townspeople would appreciate that."

With that said, he bid them goodbye and went his way, accompanied by Robin and her teasing demeanor. When they got out of sight, Cheryl climbed the stairs. They looked quite fragile. They'd probably have to do some repairs...

When she opened the door, she was surprised to find the place clean and well airy. The bed had a brand new mattress and bedding. Unfortunately, there was only one big bed. Not that it mattered that much to them, but it would've been great to get their own beds. Still, it was getting late and the exhausting day was slowly getting them grumpy and too tired to care. Cheryl moved the suitcases in the corner of the only room. It was smaller than expected, with a little kitchen and a TV, but according to what Lewis said, Robin could probably get them some upgrades. She made a mental note to ask Robin about it sometime. And thank the mayor, too.

"So? How do you find the place? I think it's great!"

It was Serra's "excited child" voice. Cheryl opened their luggage and threw her pajamas at her before answering.

"I agree! It has a lot of potentials, too." She paused. "It's very fitting of grandpa. Also, I hope we can get the place all cleaned up before summer."

Her sister, already sitting on the bed, shrugged.

"Well, we'll do our best. Right?"

Cheryl smiled with affection and tenderness.

"Yeah."

Letting her sister change her clothes, she jumped in the bathroom. It was so tiny but really clean and practical. Loyal to her "mom" persona, she immediately noticed the few cabinets where they could put their stuff and the little space behind the mirror. She would have to put their medicine there at some point. Somehow that's one of the things she didn't want to do. For quite a long moment, she engaged in a silent battle with her reflection. Would they need that here? The two pairs of hazel eyes faced each other and Cheryl finally gave up, curling a strand of her dyed bright red hair around a finger. With a sight, she finished brushing her teeth and putting her pajama. Serra, already cuddled up in the blankets, waved lightly at her when she came back in the main room. She smiled and joined her, pulling her into a hug and kissing her goodnight before laying on her side. The warmth of her sister's back leaning against hers was comforting, and even in this new, unfamiliar place, it still managed to make her feel right at home.

"Goodnight, Serra."

Soft, silent breathing answered her. She gently ruffled her ash blonde hair and not too long after, she was asleep too.


End file.
